Entries in panoramic sunroof
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It’s not that VW hasn’t been in the SUV market. It’s that it hasn’t been there with the right product. For years it has relied on the pricey (nearly $50,000) but capable Touareg to take care of those who were in the market for a largish family carrier, and the diminutive Tiguan to take care of everyone else. Only recently, with the introduction of the full-size Atlas crossover, has VW had a vehicle that dealt with the needs, desires and pocketbook realities of a majority of U.S. buyers. However, its addition still left a yawning chasm between the entry-level Tiguan and the rest of the lineup. Something had to change.

There’s an easy way to tell that the Mini brand is owned by a German automaker, the insane model names. Take, for example, the 2017 plug-in hybrid Mini Cooper Countryman. Instead of calling it the Countryman hybrid, or even the Countryman PHEV (for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), the folks at Mini decided to call its first hybrid model the Mini Cooper S E Countryman ALL4. As in Mini Cooper S E(lectric) Countryman ALL4. That’s a mouthful to spit out when you’re trying to impress your friends.

The Countryman shares its platform with BMW’s 2 Series Active Tourer, a front- and all-wheel drive five-door that is not to be confused with the rear-drive 2 Series coupe. The big Mini and little BMW also share powertrains, including 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter TwinPower turbocharged engines that are based around a 500 cc cylinder design. The 1.5-liter triple produces 134 hp and 162 lb.-ft. of torque and, in the S E Countryman it’s mated to a six-speed Steptronic automatic. This combination drives the front wheels. Out back, there’s an 87 hp/122 lb.-ft. electric motor that drives the rear axle through a two-stage, single-speed transmission. It draws power from a five module, 80-cell lithium-ion battery pack located under the rear seat. Together they give the hybrid model a total of 221 hp and 284 lb.-ft. of torque, which is enough to accelerate the car from 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds.

In an effort to bridge the gap between the S and SE model Golf SportWagens while increasing sales beyond the approximately 1,300 sold each month, Volkswagen has launched the Golf SportWagen Limited Edition. Priced at $24,995, it adds a number of exterior features like 17-in. aluminum-alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, chrome window trim, and a “Limited” badge on the front fenders. It also adds an array of standard driver assistance features like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Blind Spot Monitor, and Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking (Front Assist).

The SportWagen Limited Edition comes with keyless entry, leatherette seat surfaces, pushbutton start, heated front seats and heated windshield washer nozzles, items formerly available only on the SE model. It also has Volkswagen’s new MIB II infotainment system, which offers USB and VW-Car Net App-Connect. This lets drivers access select apps from their smartphones through the vehicle’s head unit. The unit supports all three available connected car systems: Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink. — CAS

I hadn’t driven a Nissan Rogue since our own Al Vinikour and I were paired up for the long lead in mid-2007. The most memorable thing about that day — other than Al’s propensity to drive past farm yards while honking the horn at cows and sheep and yelling, “Hi girls!,” out the window — was the fact that we both liked the base model more than the higher trim line versions. It was an honest vehicle, and — because it didn’t have a sunroof — we had more than enough headroom. Unfortunately, compared to the competition it was neither a stand out nor offensive; an accountant to mustard’s biker persona.